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Doomsday scenario: Simulation reveals nuclear war with Russia would cause 90 million casualties

 https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/policy/defense-national-security/simulation-reveals-nuclear-war-russia-90-million-casualties by Rachel Schilke, Breaking News Reporter | September 17, 2022,

It is predicted that over 90 million people would be dead or injured in a war between the United States and Russia, Princeton University researchers discovered.

Researchers at the Princeton Program on Science and Global Security created a simulated war using realistic nuclear weapons positions, targets, and fatality estimates to show the consequences that a nuclear war could have on both countries and the world, according to the project’s website.

The simulation’s scenario predicted 91.5 million casualties, with 34.1 million dead and 57.4 million injured.

“Deaths from nuclear fallout and other long-term effects would significantly increase the estimate,” the project’s video noted.

In the scenario, Russia would fire the first shot to prevent a U.S.-NATO advance. Within three hours, the researchers estimated 2.6 million immediate casualties and 480 nuclear weapons fired, 300 from Russia and 180 from NATO.

Targets would include NATO bases across Europe. The researchers determined that after Europe was destroyed, warheads would be launched from the U.S. Within 45 minutes of that launch, they estimated 3.4 million immediate casualties.

Tensions between Russia and the U.S. have escalated in recent years, particularly with the war in Ukraine. The researchers cite that both countries have “abandoned” long-standing nuclear arms control treaties, most notably the U.S. under former President Donald Trump’s administration.

In August 2018, the U.S. pulled out from the INF Treaty, which bans midrange, ground-launched nuclear missiles, on the basis that Russia allegedly tested and deployed a cruise missile prohibited by the treaty, an allegation the Kremlin has denied.

The U.S. also left the Treaty on Open Skies in November 2020, stating that Russia had disregarded its terms for years. Fellow NATO members, who had supported America’s decision to leave the INF Treaty, expressed regret at the U.S. leaving the open skies treaty.

Currently, the two countries are locked in the New START Treaty, which places limits on all Russian-deployed intercontinental-range nuclear weapons. The treaty will be in effect until February 2026.

The Washington Examiner reached out to the researchers on the project for comment on the results.

September 20, 2022 - Posted by Christina Macpherson | 2 WORLD, weapons and war